K'marine DKiG

[Brian S]

I think the fact that we are seeing a near mint example from Gordon which clearly the white portion has suffered no sunlight damage proves the blue exists.

My black example is black and a deep black. After only one cup of coffee I can't be 100% sure but it is not a black derived from a blue base.

[Dietrich Maerz]

the smae cross with 50% brightness added

[Dietrich Maerz]

and here all three in comparision.

[mads]

Here is one of several DK's in gold found in Norway (In Trondheim to be excact)
It is clearly KM.

Mads

[ChrisJ]

DKiG

Thanks a lot to all who have contributed to this thread (and for facing the cold Dietrich!).... it seems (as I suspected) that the difference is not really that marked, and I bet that many Kreigsmarine recipients wore black versions..and I guess that the genuine dark blue versions are rare birds indeed.

[Brian S]

Chris, I'm convinced people will come out of the woodwork discovering they have blues they thought were black. That said, it will make the black versions more rare as many previously attributed to black, are not.

[Dave Kane]

Hello all, not my area but I couldn't help follow the thread so I have a question!

Why are Dietrich's so 'sloppy' and I mean it in a good way and the others so precise.....

Dave

[Dietrich Maerz]

Dave,

there seem to be quite a few variations of the actual maker of the cloth parts. The metal parts are always the same (to my knowledge). The stars rays are quite different. Gordon shows 4 different types alone, 'mine' beeing the one on page 210 top. But you are right. I have a Luftwaffe cloth version which is looking nicer with the rays.

Dietrich

[DaveJ]

Interesting comment on the blue verses black, I have seen a few offered as black that have the blue tint, although I have an ss panzer M43 cap that has a blue/purple tint from 60 years of fading,

who knows

[George Stimson]

I just got this today and thought I'd add it to the thread. The background cloth is definitely dark blue.

[ChrisJ]

I just got this today and thought I'd add it to the thread. The background cloth is definitely dark blue.

Thanks George.... what a beauty !
Congrats !

[George Stimson]

Yet another example of this variation of this award, offered today on Detlev's update (Sorry, sold!).